One Shot: Why Won't Batman Kill Joker?

Today on Variant: 'One Shot', we tell you why Batman won't kill the Joker!

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Arris:

Tim (Producer)

#Batman #DC #Joker

[bentoby]

He doesn't kill Joker because Joker stories make too much money fo DC to pass up.

[LukeTheSketcher]

He also won't do it because it would prove the Joker's point. The Joker believes anyone can be brought down to his level, which is what he's always tried to do with Batman. He WANTS Batman to kill him, and Batman won't, because then the Joker would win.

[savagepinksock]

i get why batman won't kill him, but why won't anyone else? i mean why doesn't gordon kill him?

[HerbalToons]

I think Batman deep down doesn't hate the Joker. Batman usually sees through the bad of people and understands that there can be a root for their evil. He created the Joker. He might feel somehow responsible for turning him into this lunatic and let's face it, Bruce Wayne will find any excuse to wear the suit and be the batman and without Joker he would be incomplete. From all the villains, nobody knows Batman as personal as the Joker. He might even know him more than Alfred. He taps into the deepest darkest corners of Batman's mind.

Joker is like the representation of what he is not, a reminder of what Batman doesn't want to become yet he still seeks for love inside the Joker as shown in many issues.

I think Bats got the feels for the Joker.

[supervanilla]

"If i kill the Joker, Gotham would just send me someone worse"

That's true because after the events of Arkham City (Yes Batman didn't kill Joker but Joker did die) things got worse even with him dead, Scarecrow returns, this mysterious Arkham Knight appears, and the whole damn city is in chaos..

[d]

By not killing joker batman has killed lots of innocent people

[InvaderTool]

The best answer I could come up with is that Batman has already crossed so many lines to be what he is. He's a criminal himself, and if he were to start executing his enemies, where would it stop?

[basslightyeah]

hm... Batman said that when he kills the Joker, Gotham will give him something worse... Maybe, this sentence was the inspiration for Arkham Knight? Great Episode :)

[TasogareAnd]

"Why Won't Batman Kill Joker?"- wrong question. The right one is "Why no one else won't?"

[theflyingegg]

I think Bruce thinks killing joker will “make him just as bad” but he 100% has the ability to kill every DC villain in a matter of days. He struggles with his mental health and if he kills joker I think he would easily let himself go and go on a killing spree.

[emile]

"Why Won't Batman Kill Joker?" I thing it has to do with marketing reasons after some point. Of course you want Joker keep coming back and writers will constantly find philosophical excuses for Batman not to end him. I don't find it convincing enough that Batman's "don't kill" rule doesn't have limits. Joker is responsible for countless of deaths and taking him out would benefit everyone. Keeping him alive makes (in my eyes) Batman responsible for Joker's actions. In addition, killing him could help further evolve Batman's character maybe or even open up new storylines with Batman facing his demons. 

[TheRichmaster]

One reason why Batman won't kill the Joker could be that he is The Batman, one of the most influential heroes in the world (if not universe) if people see him make an exception, even once, then other heroes might start to question why they can't make exceptions too which could spiral out of control, eventually lead to a scenario similar to Kingdom Come.

[EdgelessTitan]

Commissioner Gordon explains it quite well.

Rereading Hush at the moment and right as Batman contemplates killing The Joker, Commissioner Gordon explains that he's allowed the way that Batman does his work because sometimes the "Nice" way sometimes doesn't work and that Batman helps in that regard.

However, if Batman takes a life, then he's no better than the Joker and all other murderers.

[DrSlump-fzki]

I'm sorry, but that's bullshit. If Batman is a hero he needs to protect the people by any means necessary, and Joker is a psychotic mass murderer who deserves what Batman described in the scene with Jason. This makes Batman partly responsible for the lives Joker has hurt, so he is a monster who allows another to kill and destroy other peoples lives.

[gregmatic]

Why doesn't Batman just paralyze the Joker so he can't hurt anybody anymore?

[urbanvancity]

"Oh... You... You just couldn't let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets... An immovable object. You truly are incorruptible... Aren't you? Hm? You won't kill me out of some... Misplaced sense of self-righteousness... And I won't kill you... Because you're just too much fun (laughs). I think you and I are destined to do this forever."

Summed up perfectly.

[ChaosIsaacZero]

The new 52 answer is way, WAY better then the under the Red Hood bullshit of an answer.
For a man who basically learns everything in ten minutes, can make up plans to beat up every super hero existing, and probably villain, and says 'It's too easy' is just a cop out.

[MightySuki]

How batman can stop joker, ONCE AND FOR ALL :
1. catch joker
2. beat him up (make him lose consciousness)
3. put him in batcave
4. cut his legs and arms
5. now no one knows where is he, and he can not do anything to escape, feed him 1-2 times a day, and eventually he will die. Practically you did not kill him.

[lol.of.the.rings.]

Well damn, they certainly watered down his answer to Jason in Under the Red Hood movie! Somehow the way he answers it in the comic makes it way easier to understand why he doesn't do it.

[piccolo]

i  personally love the reasoning he gives in the "under the red hood" storyline, it makes sense. and the second one, also i personally LOVE the "killing joke" alternate story of their rivalry, it just ends soo perfect.